Leo goodkind



(No Model.)

L. GOODKIND, H. M. ESSINGTON & H. E. BARTLETT. BUTTON FEEDING APPARATUS FOR SEWING MACHINES.

No. 594,617. Patented Nov. 30, 1897.

UN TED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LE0 GOODKIND, HARRY MESSIMER ESSINGTON, AND HOWARD EDWIN BARTLETT, on sT. PAUL, MINNESOTA; sAID ESSINGTON ASSIGNOR To sAID GOODKIND.

BUTTON-FEEDING APPARATUS FOR SEWING-MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 594,617, dated November 30, 1897.

Application filea November 27, 1896. Serial No. 613,674. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, LEo GooDKIND,HARRY MESSIMER ESSINGTON, and HowARD EDWIN BARTLETT, citizens ofvthe United States, and residents of St. Paul, in the county of Ramsey and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Button-Feeding Apparatus for Sewing-Machines, of which the following is a specification;

This invention relates to sewing-machines, and more especially to those adapted for sewing buttons onto a garment; and the object of the same is to produce improved means for feeding the buttons and holding them while being sewed.

To this end the invention consistsin an improved form of hopper button-feeding mechanism, all as hereinafter more fully described and claimed and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a plan view of this machine complete, omitting the sewing-machine entirely, as it forms no part of the invention except that it cooperates therewith. Fig. 2 is a central vertical section of the hopper. Fig. 3 is a perspective detail of the cut-off. Fig. 4 is a similar view of one button. Fig. 5 is a crosssection of the runway. Fig. dis a plan view of the holding-plate. I

'This machine consists of a hopper H, from which leads a chute or runway R, having a cut-off O to permit the delivery of but one button at a time. The runway delivers the button upon a holding-plate P, whereon it may be additionally held bya clamp 0. Each of these several parts may be of any approved construction independently of the others; but we have shown the constructions which We prefer as constituting a cheap, efficient,

vice to serve as a pivot.

disk, which stands usually at about the an gle seen in Fig. 2, and it rises gradually, as

at 4, at the upper side, thereby forming a raised and flattened center 5, from which in turn rises a central pin 5 or a bolt or other de- Through the edge 2, at the lowest point is a button exit or opening 6, opposite which stands the inlet end of the runway R. The member 1 is supported by any suitable means, as the bracket '7, pivoted at 8 to some fixed support, and abrace 9 may extend down to near the lower extremity of the runway, the latter thus maintaining rigidly its angle to the hopper, so that the buttons will pass out and down by gravity. The upper member 10 of the hopper is preferably cup-shaped, its exterior being cylindrical in order that it may receive a belt 11, by which it will be rotated on the pivot 55, although oscillating motion or simple agitation might be sufficient to cause the delivery of the buttons. This inverted-cup-shaped member 10 has a downwardly-projecting sleeve 12 surrounding the pin 5, and in its upper side there is a door or other inlet 13, through which it may be filled from time to time. The lower edge is rounded ofi or cutaway on its inner side, as at 14, and stands above the member 1, just inside the raised edge 2 of the latter. 15 are a series ofribs secured in any suitable manner to the inner face of the side of this member 10, spaced the Width of the buttons B, rising as high as may be desired, and projecting slightly below the lower edge where cut away, as at 14, so as to leave openings sufficiently deep to permit the exit of the buttons under this edge and between the ribs when at a point opposite the opening 6 into the runway.

The chute or runway R.Secured, as at 20, to the hopper member 1 is a track 21, consisting of a plain strip, with two edges 22 raised above its upper face and a central longitudinal groove 23 depressed below said upper face and widened gradually toward its inlet end,

as at 24. Upon the edges 22 are secured side strips 25, which extend inward slightly, as seen in Fig. 5, so as to partially cover the sides of each button. These strips extend from the hopper down to a point below which they may be omitted near the lower end of the runway and there replaced by spring-fingers 26, if desired, to retard the pa ssage of the button to the plate. The exitopening 6 in the hopper communicates with the inlet end of the runway where the groove 23 is widened, as at 24c, for a purpose to appear below.

The cut-op O.-Fig. 3 illustrates aplate of substantially L shape, having one extremity 31 adapted to be pivoted upon one of the edges 22 of the runway and its other extremity forming a handle projecting laterally beyond said runway, as seen in Fig. 1. This plate is provided with two depending lips and 3i, the former standing near its upper edge and passing out a notch 33 in the edge 22, to which the plate is pivoted, and the latter, 3%, standing below and to one side of the first lip and passing through a not-ch 35 in the other edge 22. These notches are seen in dotted lines in Fig. l and are below the strips 25, but above the fingers 26,if employed. On moving the plate 30 in one direction the lip 33 is brought across the path of the runway and supports and checks the line of buttons then therein. Vhen the operator desires a button dropped, she moves this plate in the opposite direction, which passes one button from off the lip down the track onto the other lip 34, and she then returns the plate to its original position, which drops the single button and enters the upper lip 32 beneath the line.

The plate P.Standing opposite the lower and exit end of the runway R is a thin plate P, having cut in its body at the side opposite the runway a slot of the same width as the groove 23, the inner end of this slot being enlarged and preferably made circular, as at 41, and such circle being larger than the space included by the holes in the button, for a purpose to appear below. Rising from this plate, just behind the circular opening, is a rib 42, against which the farther edge of the button rests when in position for sewing.

The clamp O.This device has an inner member 50, attached and supported by the sewing-machine, (not shown,) and an outer member 52, hinged, as at 51, to the inner, so that the body of the clamp maybe raised out of the way when not in use. Pivoted, as at 53, to said body are two arms 54:, whose forward portions are deflected inward toward each other and have curved and grooved extremities 55, forming jaws, while their rearward portions are operated by any suitable mechanism. In the present instance we have shown two sliding cams 56, mounted in guideways in the body and pivoted, respectively, as at 57, to the rearward portions of the arms, while a link 58 connects these cams, so as to cause them to move simultaneously and oppositely. By sliding one or both cams to one extremity of their movement the operator causes the jaws to grasp the opposite sides of the button while resting on the plate P, and by returning the cams to their original positions she causes the jaws to release the button after it has been sewed to the cloth.

The buttons B.Each of these comprises a body of ordinary form, as seen at (30, with preferably four holes 61, arranged through it in plus shape, as seen, although the size, shape, and thickness of the body and the arrangement of its holes will depend upon the sewing-machine mechanism to be used. Beneath the body (30 of the button and integral therewith, however, is formed a shank (32, which depends from the body, has parallel sides, and is of the width of the groove in the track and the slot in the plate, for a purpose to appear below.

The hopper and runway being pivoted by its bracket to some fixed support at the left of the sewing-machine head and the plate and clamp at its right, the operator takes her seat in front, from which position she manipulates the cut-off, the clamp, and the machine, and also guides the work. The hopper is filled with buttons and the agitating mechanism set in motion, and this causes a line of buttons to pass out the exit-opening 6, with their shanks 62 guided by the gradually-contracting sides 24: until they stand in line with the groove 23 of the track, so that the plus-shaped set of holes is always fed in the same relative position to the sewing-machine. As she needs one button the operator manipulates the cut-oil to let one out of the line, and it flows down and out of the runway onto the plate P, with its shank 62 entering the slot 40 and its farther edge finally bringing up against the rib, at which time the set of holes is centered over the circular hole 41 at the inner end of the slot 40. The operator then works the clamp, so that its jaws grasp the button, after which she sets the machine in motion to do the sewing in a manner well known in the art and forming no part of the present invention. Then the button has been attached, the jaws are retracted to free the button, the garment moved to the left to pass the shank thereof out the slot 40, (the exit end of the runway being raised slightly to permit,) the garment readjusted, and the operation repeated at the proper point.

hat we claim as new is- 1. In a button-feeding device, the combination with a lower hopper member of disk shape with raised edge, said member standing normally inclined, its bottom rising abruptly within said edge at its lower side and gradually at its upper side, and said edge having an exit-opening at its lowest point; of an upper hopper member of inverted-cup shape with openings in its edge which moves Within the raised edge of the lower member, and means for agitating said upper member, as and for the purpose set forth,

2. In a button-feeding device, the combination with a lower hopper member of disk shape with raised edge, said member standing normally inclined, its bottom rising abruptly within said edge at its lower side and gradually at its upper side, and a pin rising from its center, said edge having at its lower point an exit-opening, and a runway leading therefrom; of an upper member of inverted-cup shape having a downwardly-projecting sleeve journaled on said pin, and a series of ribs carried by the edge of this member and moving over said exit-opening, as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a button-feeding device, the combination with a hopper having an exit-opening; of a runway comprising a track leading from said opening and having a longitudinal groove.

depressed below its upper face and widened gradually toward said opening, side edges rising above said upper face, longitudinal strips secured on said edges and projecting slightly beyond their inner faces, the strips being omitted at the lower end of the run way, and spring-fingers located where the strips are omitted for frictionally retaining the buttons, as and for the purpose set forth.

4. The combination with a button-runway having raised edges notched at certain points; of a cut-off comprising a substantially flat L- shaped plate pivoted at one end upon one of said edges, and thus being capable of swinging across the top of the runway, and having a handle at its opposite end projecting beyond the other of said edges; and two lips depending from the plate near its angle and adapted to be moved inward through said notches, the location of the lips being such that they are brought alternately into the path of the buttons, as and for the purpose set forth.

5. The combination with a button-runway; of a plate having a slot in its body standing opposite the delivery end of the runway with a circular enlargement at the inner end of the slot, and a curved rib rising from the plate concentric with and slightly remote from said enlargement, and at that side thereof which is opposite the slot and runway, as and for the purpose set forth. I

6. The combination with a button-runway of a holding-plate located at the delivery end thereof, a rib rising from this plate in the path of the button, a clamp having pivoted arms with curved and grooved extremities forming jaws standing at opposite sides of the button when the latter rests against said rib, and means for moving the arms, as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

. LEO GOODKIND.

* HARRY MESSIMER ESSINGTON. HOWRD EDWIN BARTLETT. Witnesses:

L. FEESER, J r., GEO. E. ScALEs. 

